U.S. patent application number 11/510479 was filed with the patent office on 2007-03-01 for water resistant carpet and method of manufacture the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to Couristan Inc.. Invention is credited to Ron Couri, Rik Pappijn.
Application Number | 20070048491 11/510479 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37804550 |
Filed Date | 2007-03-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070048491 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Couri; Ron ; et al. |
March 1, 2007 |
Water resistant carpet and method of manufacture the same
Abstract
A carpet and method for making a carpet suitable for both indoor
and outdoor use that has a soft and luxurious finish as well as
adaptable to stressful outdoor environments. The carpet includes
binding chains with both tight warp yarn and slack warp yarn, the
slack warp yarn including synthetic fibers and the tight warp yarn
including synthetic fibers and natural fibers. Weft is cut from
polypropylene film and the pile is formed of polypropylene extruded
yarn. The carpet is formed using a rapier loom with a double rapier
head system.
Inventors: |
Couri; Ron; (Tenafly,
NJ) ; Pappijn; Rik; (Harelbeke, BE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DARBY & DARBY P.C.
P. O. BOX 5257
NEW YORK
NY
10150-5257
US
|
Assignee: |
Couristan Inc.
Fort Lee
NJ
|
Family ID: |
37804550 |
Appl. No.: |
11/510479 |
Filed: |
August 23, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60710924 |
Aug 23, 2005 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
428/97 ; 428/85;
428/92 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D10B 2331/04 20130101;
D10B 2201/02 20130101; D10B 2401/14 20130101; D03D 15/00 20130101;
D10B 2321/022 20130101; D10B 2401/062 20130101; Y10T 428/23957
20150401; D03D 27/06 20130101; Y10T 428/23993 20150401; D03D 27/00
20130101; D10B 2503/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/097 ;
428/085; 428/092 |
International
Class: |
D03D 27/00 20060101
D03D027/00 |
Claims
1. A carpet comprising: weft formed from filling yarn; pile formed
from pile yarn; and binding chains including: tight warp yarn
comprising a first synthetic fiber and a natural fiber, and slack
warp yarn including of a second synthetic fiber.
2. The carpet of claim 1, wherein the first synthetic fiber and the
second synthetic fiber include polyester staple fibers.
3. The carpet of claim 1, wherein the natural fiber includes
cotton.
4. The carpet of claim 2, wherein the natural fiber includes
cotton.
5. The carpet of claim 4, wherein the tight warp yarn includes
approximately 80% polyester staple fibers and 20% cotton
fibers.
6. The carpet of claim 1, wherein the pile yarn comprises
polypropylene extruded yarn.
7. The carpet of claim 6, wherein the polypropylene is dyed.
8. The carpet of claim 6, wherein the pile yarn includes UV
stabilizers.
9. The carpet of claim 1, wherein the filling yarn includes
polypropylene film.
10. The carpet of claim 9, wherein the filling yarn is twisted at a
high twist rate.
11. The carpet of claim 10, wherein the filling yarn is twisted at
40 twists per meter.
12. The carpet of claim 11, wherein the filling yarn is
pre-shrunk.
13. A method of making a carpet using a rapier loom with a double
rapier head system comprising: forming sheds within pile yarn and
binding chains, the binding chains comprising tight warp yarn
comprising synthetic fibers and natural fibers and slack warp yarn
comprising synthetic fibers. inserting weft in the sheds using an
insert rapier head and receiving the weft using a receiving rapier
head.
14. The method of claim 13 further including a step of adjusting a
ratio of the tight warp yarn to the slack warp yarn.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the adjusting step comprises the
step of increasing the tight warp yarn to result in at least one of
added stability, lowered elongation and lowered temperature
variation sensitivity.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein the weft is cut from
polypropylene film and the pile yarn comprises polypropylene
extruded yarn.
17. The method of claim 13 wherein two carpets are formed
simultaneously using a face-to-face weaving system.
18. The method of claim 13 wherein the pattern of the carpet is
formed using a Jacquard system.
19. The method of claim 13 wherein the insert rapier head is made
of hard metal and the receiving rapier head is micro ribbed.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the rapier heads are plasma
coated.
21. The method of claim 13 wherein the insertion head is operated
at an advanced position in a cycle and the receiving head is
operated at a delayed position in the cycle.
22. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of cutting
the weft with scissors, wherein the cutting step is performed at an
advanced position in the cycle.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to the field of carpets and carpet
manufacturing, and more specifically to carpets intended for both
indoor and outdoor use and the manufacturing of the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a water resistant carpet
that is suitable for use both indoors and outdoors. The present
invention also relates to the manufacturing of such a carpet.
[0003] The term "carpet" is used throughout this specification to
cover all types of woven surface coverings.
[0004] Carpets are typically woven from yarn. The yarn may include
synthetic or natural filaments or fibers. Additionally, the yarn
may consist of several filaments or fibers twisted together. A
particular type of fiber of importance in carpet weaving is the
staple fiber. The staple fiber is generally short fibers, usually
ranging in lengths from 1 inch to 8 inches long. A group of these
staple fibers are twisted together to form a yarn. These yarns are
then used for different aspects of the carpet, such as the pile,
weft and binding chain, as described below in further detail.
[0005] The pile is the generally vertical material (when the carpet
is placed on a horizontal surface) above the backing. The pile is
the part of the carpet that protrudes upwards above the backing.
The backing is the structure that provides stability for the pile.
The backing may consist of numerous different materials, such as
weft, binding chains and stuffer.
[0006] Warp yarn refers to that yarn that may be used for the
backing, piles and binding chains. The warp generally runs in a
linear direction. The length of the warp controls the carpet's
length. The weft is the yarn that runs in a transverse direction to
the warp. The length of the weft controls the carpet's width.
[0007] The binding chains are the warp yarn that is woven in a
chain-like manner. This chain-like weaving is used to hold all the
components of the carpet together, including the pile, weft and
backing.
[0008] The stuffer is additional warp yarn that lays flat in the
backing, it is usually woven under a heavy load, and its purpose is
to provide linear stability, strength, and additional weight to the
carpet.
[0009] In a typical weaving process, pile and warp yarn move in a
linear direction at a steady rate. There may be more than one
strand of each type of yarn (pile and warp) involved in the weaving
of the carpet. The warp yarn may be used for different parts of the
carpet, such as the binding chains or the stuffer. The pile and
warp yarn are pulled through the eyes of heald wires. A heald wire
is a wire with its eye (a small opening allowing the yarn to run
through it, like the eye of a needle) approximately half way up its
vertical length. Each strand of yarn may have its own heald wire
that it travels through. Since the yarn travels through the eye of
the heald wire, the yarn can be moved by driving the heald wire up
or down. This will change the vertical position of the particular
strand of yarn running through the moving heald wire.
[0010] By driving the heald wires up and down, openings can be
created in between the various different yarns. This intermittent
space is called a shed. It is through these sheds that the weft
material is inserted. The weft can be inserted through the shed
with a shuttle. A shuttle is the part of the weaving loom that
carries fill yarn back and forth across the fabric width.
[0011] A particular weaving loom of importance in carpet weaving is
the rapier loom. The rapier loom does not have any shuttles.
Instead, one or more rapiers (small metal rods) are used to carry
the weft material through the sheds across the width of the carpet.
After the rapier has carried the weft yarn across the width of the
carpet, the weft is cut. A single insertion of the weft is called a
shot.
[0012] A reed is then used to "beat" the material tightly together.
A beat up arm controls the reed. The beaten material travels
through the point of weave which is the focus of all the warp and
weft material, and the point where the individual materials becomes
a carpet.
[0013] A Jacquard is a mechanism that moves individual warp yarn
material in any programmed sequence. This allows for preprogrammed
designs that are complex in design and visual effects.
[0014] The selvage is the edge of the carpet finished in such a
manner that it will not unravel and it does not require any
additional binding or hemming.
[0015] Face-to-face weaving is a useful weaving technique that
allows two carpets with identical pile design to be woven at the
same time, these two carpets being interlaced by the pile warp
ends. The produced "double" carpet can be cut in the center,
cutting the pile in between the two carpets, producing a top carpet
and a bottom carpet.
[0016] Presently, available carpets suffer from their
incompatibility with certain environments. Some carpets are
suitable for an indoor setting, being soft and luxurious among
other characteristics. These carpets, however, do not withstand a
more stressful outdoor environment. If these carpets were placed in
an outdoor environment they may trap dirt, absorb water, become
faded due to UV exposure, and the pile may become trampled
down.
[0017] Other carpets are suitable for an outdoor environment, being
durable and rugged among other characteristics. These carpets,
however, are not appropriate for an indoor environment. Outdoor
carpets are generally made from more durable material that is not
as soft as materials used for indoor carpets. If placed indoors, an
outdoor carpet would be uncomfortable to walk on without shoes.
Additionally, such a carpet would not give the appearance of a
luxurious carpet, a typical aesthetic requirement for indoor
carpet.
[0018] Some presently available carpets are intended for both
indoor and outdoor use. These carpets, although they may be softer
and more luxurious than the typical outdoor carpet, and may be more
durable and rugged than a typical indoor carpet, never achieve both
indoor and outdoor characteristics to the same degree as achieved
by exclusively indoor and outdoor carpet. In such a carpet there is
a trade-off between indoor carpet and outdoor carpet qualities.
[0019] There is thus a need for a carpet that is suitable for both
indoor and outdoor environments, yet does not suffer from the
trade-off between indoor and outdoor qualities. Such a carpet
should be as soft and luxurious as an exclusively indoor carpet and
as durable and rugged as an exclusively outdoor carpet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0020] The present invention provides for a carpet that is suitable
for both indoor and outdoor use. This carpet will provide all the
benefits of an indoor carpet, such as a soft luxurious finish,
while remaining adaptable to the stressful outdoor environment.
This carpet will include features not typically found in indoor
carpets, such as water resistance, and features not found in indoor
carpets, such as durability.
[0021] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a carpet having pile made of polypropylene extruded yarn.
The pile yarn may optionally be made from a dyed polypropylene
solution. The pile yarn may optionally include added UV
stabilizers.
[0022] According to a further aspect of the invention, there is
provided a carpet having binding chains made from a combination of
tight and slack warp yarn. The tight warp yarn is made of polyester
staple fibers combined with cotton. The cotton provides added
stability, lower elongation and a lower sensitivity to temperature
variation than polyester warp without cotton. The ratio of
polyester staple fibers to cotton controls the degree of the added
stability, lower elongation and lowered temperature sensitivity.
The slack warp yarn is made of polyester staple fiber. The ratio of
the tight warp yarn to the slack warp yarn controls certain
characteristics of the carpet, such as the degree of the added
stability and lowered temperature sensitivity.
[0023] According to a still further aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a carpet having wefts made of filling
yarn cut from a polypropylene film. The filling yarn may be twisted
at a high twist, such as 40 twists per meter. The filling yarn may
be heated prior to carpet assembly to pre-shrink the yarn.
[0024] According to a still further aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a method for the production of the
carpet which includes weaving together pile material, weft material
and binding chain material in such a manner to produce the desired
weave structure.
[0025] One aspect of the method for production of the carpet
includes the use of a rapier loom with a double rapier-head system.
One rapier head is used to insert the weft material in the sheds
while the other rapier head is used to receive the weft material.
The insert rapier head may be made of a hard metal, while the
receiving rapier head may be micro ribbed. Both rapier heads may be
treated with a plasma coating.
[0026] Another aspect of the method for production of the carpet
includes the use of scissors that can cut the hard and stiff
filling yarn used for the weft. These scissors may have micro
serrated knife blades.
[0027] Another aspect of the method of production of the carpet may
include the use of a Jacquard system to produce intricate patterns
in the finished carpet. The Jacquard system may also be used to tie
off the filling yarn once it is released from the receiving rapier
head, creating a selvage on the carpet.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a carpet according to
one embodiment of the present invention;
[0029] FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are cross-sectional perspectives of the
carpet during the manufacturing process according to one embodiment
of the present invention; and
[0030] FIG. 5 is an illustration of a loom used in the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0031] FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically a cross-sectional perspective
of a finished carpet 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the
invention. Binding chains 2 form a chain of links which, with wefts
4, bind pile yarns 6, 8 and 10 to the backing. Stuffer 12 lies
straight in the backing. The binding chains 2 alternately connect
with the wefts 4 which in turn bind the pile yarns 6, 8 and 10.
[0032] The stuffer 12 includes extra warp and pile yarn, such as
pile yarn 10. When pile yarn 10 is not being used to form the pile
of the carpet, as is depicted in FIG. 1 from point 10' and to the
right, it is incorporated into the stuffer. This technique is
called "incorporating the dead pile." Pile yarns of different
colors, such as pile yarns 6 and 8, may be used interchangeably
throughout the carpet, allowing for different designs and different
color schemes. When a particular pile yarn is not being used to
form the pile at that point in the carpet, that pile yarn is
incorporated into the stuffer. Alternatively, unused pile yarns
could remain "floating" on the back of the bottom of the carpet.
Those floating pile yarns could be removed after carpet production.
According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the unused,
or dead, pile yarns are incorporated into the stuffer, providing
additional structure to the stuffer.
[0033] According to the preferred embodiment of the invention the,
pile yarn is extruded from a polypropylene solution. The solution
may be dyed to provide a uniform color throughout the entire fiber.
The pile yarn may contain added UV stabilizers to prevent the
fading or changing of color as a result of UV exposure.
[0034] The binding chains are made from a combination of tight and
slack warp yarn. The tight warp yarn consists of a combination of
polyester staple fibers and cotton. The cotton adds stability,
lowers elongation and lowers temperature variation sensitivity of
the warp yarn. The ratio of polyester to cotton controls the extent
of the added features of the warp yarn. According to the preferred
embodiment of the invention the tight warp yarn consists of about
80% polyester staple fibers and about 20% cotton. The slack warp
yarn is made from polyester staple fibers. A 100% polyester binding
chain provides for an increased tightening of the "V pile", the
visible pile on the face of the rug. The ratio of tight to slack
warp yarn controls certain characteristics of the carpet, such as
the degree of added stability, lowered elongation, lowered
temperature variation sensitivity and tightness of the "V pile". As
the ratio of tight to slack warp yarn increases, the degree of
added stability, lowered elongation and lowered temperature
variation sensitivity increases. As the ratio of tight to slack
warp yarn decreases, the tightness of the "V pile" increases.
[0035] The weft is made from a filling yarn extruded from a
polypropylene solution. This solution may be dyed to provide a
uniform color throughout the entire fiber. A film is taken from the
solution and cut lengthwise into small bands. The yarn may be
twisted at a relatively high twist. According to the preferred
embodiment of the invention the filling yarn is twisted at about 40
twists per meter. The filling yarn may be preshrunk prior to the
weaving process to reduce the shrinkage of the finished product to
less than 0.5%. This preshrinking can be achieved by heating the
filling yarn in an oven for two days.
[0036] FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 show diagrammatically cross-section
perspectives of the carpet during the manufacturing process
according to the preferred embodiment of the invention. According
to the preferred embodiment, the carpet is manufactured using the
face-to-face weaving technique. Referring to FIG. 2, a top carpet
20 and a bottom carpet 22 are produced simultaneously with the pile
yarns, such as 24, 26 and 28, being woven into both carpets. These
pile yarns are used to created the pile in both carpets as well as
being incorporated into the stuffer of both carpets. The top carpet
has its own binding chains 30, wefts 32 and stuffer 34. The bottom
carpet also has its own binding chains 36, wefts 38 and stuffer 40.
The top and bottom carpets are interlaced by the pile yarns.
[0037] In the face-to-face weaving technique pile yarns of
different colors, such as pile yarns 26 and 28, can be used to
produce a carpet with a particular color scheme. According to the
preferred embodiment of the invention a Jacquard mechanism is used
to program and control the design of the carpet.
[0038] Referring to FIG. 3, the top carpet 20 and the bottom carpet
22 are separated from each other by cutting of the pile yarns, such
as pile yarns 56 and 58, by a cutting device 54. In the preferred
embodiment the cutting device 54 is a knife. The top carpet 20 and
bottom carpet 22 are drawn away from the cutting device 54 at a
steady rate and collected as finished carpets. The drawing of the
carpets continuously pulls the unfinished, interlaced top and
bottom carpets towards the cutting device 54. The finished top
carpet 20 and bottom carpet 22 have identical piles, providing two
finished carpets having identical pile design.
[0039] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional perspective of the finished
top carpet 20 and bottom carpet 22 after being separated from each
other. The finished top carpet 20 and bottom carpet 22 have
identical pile designs on the face of each carpet.
[0040] FIG. 5 shows the diagrammatically the shedding details of
the loom according to a preferred method of manufacturing using the
face-to-face weaving technique. The focus point of all the warp and
weft material in the top carpet 20 is the top point of weave 94,
and the focus point of all the warp and weft material in the bottom
carpet 22 is the bottom point of weave 96. It is at these points of
weave that the top and bottom carpets are formed. The binding
chains 98 and 100 pass through the eyes 102 of the heald wires 104.
Each yarn has its own heald wire in which it passes through. The
pile yarns 106 and 108 also pass through the eyes 102 of the heald
wires 104.
[0041] According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, a
Jacquard mechanism is attached to the tops of the heald wires 104.
The Jacquard mechanism can be programmed to design an intricate
color scheme on the carpet. The Jacquard mechanism controls the
movement of the heald wires up and down, which in turn controls the
placement of the yarns in the carpet. According to the depicted
process, two pile yarns alternate between the top and bottom
carpets, each carpet having two binding chains.
[0042] Sheds are the spaces created between the yarns as a result
of the movement of the heald wires. Rapiers 110 carrying the weft
material are inserted into the sheds. According to the preferred
embodiment, a double rapier system is used, allowing for the
insertion of two rapiers simultaneously. Other embodiments include,
but are not limited to, single and triple rapier weave
structures.
[0043] According to the preferred embodiment of the invention two
separate rapier heads operate in each rapier. One rapier head is
the insertion rapier head, and it inserts the weft material into
the shed. The second rapier head is the receiving rapier head and
it receives the weft material from the insertion rapier head.
According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the
insertion rapier head is made from a hard metal and the receiving
rapier head is micro ribbed. Both rapier heads have a plasma
coating, which needs to be applied on a regular basis. The plasma
coating prevents wear and allows the rapier to run the
polypropylene filling yarn.
[0044] During the weaving process, weft material is inserted by the
rapiers. The rapiers are removed and the weft material is cut by
scissors. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention,
in which the weft material is made of polypropylene filling yarn,
the scissors have micro serrated knife blades capable of cutting
the stiff filling yarn.
[0045] During the weaving process, weft material is inserted into
the sheds. The beat up arm 112 drives a reed 114 forward towards
the points of focus. The reed beats up the weft material into the
carpets to complete a weaving cycle. The heald wires can then be
repositioned, new sheds created and new weft material inserted.
[0046] According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the
Jacquard mechanism is used to tie off the filling yarn once it is
released from the rapier receiving head to create a selvage system.
This selvage system prevents the carpet from unraveling, not
requiring any further binding or hemming. This provides additional
stability to the final woven carpets.
[0047] According to the preferred embodiment of the invention the
timing of the machine needs to be adjusted from typical settings
using jute yarn to accommodate the preferred materials and process.
Each weaving cycle (insertion of the weft and beat up of the weft)
can be regarded as taking 360 degrees. Accordingly, the timing of
the insertion rapier head needs to be moved forward 5 degrees,
causing the receiving rapier head on the left side to be delayed by
8 degrees. Additionally, the opening of the scissors need to be
moved up 6 degrees.
[0048] While there have been shown, described, and pointed out
fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a
preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various
omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of
the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by
those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that
all combinations of those elements and/or steps which perform
substantially the same function, in substantially the same way, to
achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention.
Substitutions of elements from one described embodiment to another
are also fully intended and contemplated. It is also to be
understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale,
but that they are merely conceptual in nature. It is the intention,
therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the
claims appended hereto.
* * * * *